Michael Ruhlman's Maple Cured Bacon from "Charcuterie"


 
I have made virtually every recipe in the Charcuterie book over countless hours - its an amazing book and I love it as it allows me to eat great food at a fraction of the deli prices - and it tastes better, like virtually anything you make yourself.

I enjoy making terrine's, pate's, bacon, braesola, salami's, and more.

If anyone has any questions on other stuff in the book - please feel free to ask.
 
we'll do. i didn't even think of instruction being on the package.
will a frozen product weigh the same as thawed? (im thinking yes)
and i'm going to wait on some reg. sugar (for this time). found none around here (not even close) but a good deal on amazon cause somehow my lady was ordering a bunch of lady stuff and somethin somethin about a prev. order and how she buys a lot of crap, led me to a free shipping plus some percent off, and i placed it (the order) with some stuff of hers. (i don't remember the catch)
i cant wait to try this bacon makin.
 
Yes - bacon is so amazing when its made using old school methods. I am going to buy a few pork bellies tomorrow and make up a couple of new batches
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(starts humming the I love bacon song)
 
You guys are killing me with this thread! I now must see where I can find pork belly locally and likely order that book. Mouth is watering thinking about it. Not crazy about store bought maple bacon, but willing to try this, and I already have the maple sugar and syrup thanks to a local maple farm. Also some free applewood for the smoke thanks to fallen trees cut down at folks house.

Best part of doing it yourself, you don't need the preservatives and such! I've gotta get some thermometers ordered too and check out that low temp mini minion method. I have mastered the heat control just yet.
 
I spoke too soon. I looked on amazon.com for pink salt, saw so many that I had to look at the other to see the difference, I now realize the pink salt recommended comes with sodium nitrate already in it
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that is what I am trying to avoid.

I was glad to see the post referring to venison summer sausage. I am surprised I don't see more wild game topics on this site. I have historically had this made at a local processor, it's fantastic, but expensive. Would love to make it myself. Perhaps just having some ground this year and trying myself thanks to this forum!
 
Pink salt is 'curing salt' which means it contains nitrite. Nitrite is not essential for bacon nor for many other things.
 
Thanks! We don't have a market like the one mentioned in one of the posts above, I guess this would be something you would have to request special from a meat market? We used to have a meat market close, but it's gone. There are still a few left in town. May take a little research.
 
I have to go to this amazing european butcher ( I think they are danish) for pork bellies, pork fat, rendered lard etc for when I make salami, bacon, and other charcuterie delights.

Safeway, Wal-Mart, Costco, etc here never carry anything cool like briskets or pork bellies.

Sodium Nitrate is a good idea if you are producing food where you want to ensure that botulism etc will not happen.

You can use alternatives - not essential for bacon at all.
 
Nitrites will fix the red color associated with cured meats and will add a characteristic flavor to the profile. Its use also extends shelf life. They are essential in cures where the item will go for a substantial period of time between 40 and 130?, especially dry-cured sausages, e.g., that are often left in the 65-80? range for some time and items being slowly cold-smoked.

Bacon is often if not mostly hot-smoked and effectively cooked during smoking. It is also typically not eaten raw but is cooked again before consumption. Phenols in smoke are effective preservatives and of course bacon is usually chilled then kept cold after smoking. Most of bacon's characteristic flavor, imo, comes from salt and smoke and so nitrite isn't missed if not used.
 
Thanks for the great info! If this comes out as good as it sounds, I can't imagine it lasting long enough to go bad, hah! But I would actually probably freeze some.

Anyway, your detailed explanation was a great help!

I'll have to check into getting this stuff and trying it out. If it goes well, I could probably special order from a farmer friend that raises.

I was in Whole Foods market yesterday and they had some maple rub bacon they called "black forest", it wasn't pink, and in fact, quite dark/black on outside.
 
What's the downside to using nitrites? I'm still haven't made my mind up on them. I understand they are essential in dry cured meats and Ruhlman makes a solid argument for using them. I haven't research them fully to have a definitive opinion other than: use them when its essential, avoid them when it isn't.
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:
What's the downside to using nitrites? I'm still haven't made my mind up on them.
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J - Nitrites are routinely used in processed meats, especially commercial bacon and hams. You are probably eating nitrites already without even thinking about it. This delicious bacon will not add much to your diet.

I have made salt cured bacon before and the flavor was inferior to my pink salt cured product. Unless you have a special medical condition, use the original recipe.

Kevin - Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
Nope, not wrong.

Added nitrites are thought by some to have potential physiological ramifications. It is thought that it is best to limit one's consumption. There is data out there to support this view. It is also true that one consumes naturally occurring nitrites as a matter of course. It is one of those things to look into, if you wish, and decide for yourself.

I tend not to eat much in the way of added nitrites as a 'by-product', if you will, of my food choices. I don't buy processed foods, foods with chemical preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, HFCS. I don't ask at restaurants what is in what the foods they are serving but at the same time I rarely go to restaurants that are likely to use 'food service' foods. It is just not how I eat (or like to eat). There are people who seem to be sensitive to some added elements in processed foods (I am not one of them; it is just not how I eat) or who choose to avoid or limit their intake (me) and those who are unconcerned.

I am pleased with my no-nitrite bacon--but I use minerally sea salt for the cure when I am not adding pink salt. Sea salt usually contains naturally occurring nitrite and I don't find much of a difference between the bellies I cure with pink salt and the ones I cure without. Another thing you can add if you wish to cure with naturally occuring nitrite: celery juice. (I find the sea salt sufficient for bacon but it can be a good addition for stuff like pastrami. I have not tried it for typical hams (it would probably work well in an injection), preferring to use pink salt for them. I should try it one of these days though just to see.)
 
It's been a long time so I don't remember all of the details, but I had taken a class one time with a nutrionist (actually he was both an MD and a PHD in nutrition). I think it was mostly the combination of both nitrites and nitrates together that was bad news. But I try to avoid either when I can. I have done some quick searches and found other studies that confirm this.
 
Kevin I was replying to J. Biesinger's request before I realized your answer was there. Thank you once again for your detailed and concise response. Like you, I just try to limit these things when I can.
 
finnally got my order. bacon makin tonight. Tomarrow i'll start the ham. I think subway uses briskit slices in place of there "prime rib" sandwich. just thought i'de say that....not important.
 
For those that have made this did you use maple sugar and maple syrup? Sounds like the earlier posts used both. The book says one or the other. Just curious the best way to do it.

Picked up a 9.5 pork belly. Thought I would do half this recipe with maple smoke and half basic with applewood.
 
Originally posted by Chris Derum:
For those that have made this did you use maple sugar and maple syrup? Sounds like the earlier posts used both. The book says one or the other. Just curious the best way to do it.

Picked up a 9.5 pork belly. Thought I would do half this recipe with maple smoke and half basic with applewood.
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Chris,

The recipe uses maple or dark brown sugar AND maple syrup. I used maple sugar and syrup with excellent results. I don't know about using brown sugar.

Jim
 
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